Bar staff in soap operas such as EastEnders and Coronation Street are spreading bad beer habits, it was claimed yesterday.

Organisers of Beer Naturally, a new initiative to boost the drink's image, say they have spotted a host of bad practices that would never be tolerated in any decent pub.

Dr Paul Hegarty, a brewing scientist, looked at the way beer was poured in fictional pubs such as The Queen Vic in EastEnders, The Rovers Return in Coronation Street, The Woolpack in Emmerdale and The Dog in the Pond in Hollyoaks.

Mistakes included refilling a dirty glass, smoking and eating behind the bar, holding a glass at the wrong angle and using the wrong shaped glass.

Dr Hegarty, who works for brewing giant Coors which supports the initiative, said, "While we all realise that The Rovers and The Vic are fictional pubs, I think it's fair to say that in the real world, customers wouldn't be too happy if their own local committed the kind of serving blunders that are on show every week in the soaps."